About this Event
What happened when the dead became more valuable than the living?
In early nineteenth-century London, medical science had a problem. The study of anatomy was advancing rapidly, but there were nowhere near enough legally available bodies for surgeons and their students to dissect.
The solution was a flourishing illicit trade in the dead.
Join public historian Sheldon K. Goodman of Cemetery Club for a walk through the City of London exploring the extraordinary world of the resurrection men: the gangs who entered burial grounds under cover of darkness, opened fresh graves and supplied London's anatomy schools with corpses.
Along the way, we'll discover a London in which families kept watch over new graves, churchyards became battlegrounds and ingenious devices were employed to prevent the dead from disappearing.
But this isn't simply a history of grave robbers.
We'll explore the medical world that created the demand for bodies in the first place; the surgeons and anatomists who depended upon them; the people whose graves were most vulnerable; and the uncomfortable relationship between medical progress and the treatment of the dead.
Among the figures we'll encounter is the celebrated surgeon Sir Astley Cooper, who became one of Britain's most eminent medical men working within a profession heavily dependent upon the illicit supply of human remains.
Beginning beside the Royal Exchange, we'll walk through some of the oldest streets of the Square Mile towards Smithfield, Little Britain and Cloth Fair, uncovering stories of anatomy, burial, poverty, crime and medical innovation in the places where this history unfolded.
There will be graveyards. There will be surgeons. There will be resurrection men.
And quite a lot of dead people.
The walk finishes at The Hand & Shears in Cloth Fair, where you're very welcome to join Sheldon for a drink afterwards.
About your guide
Sheldon K. Goodman is a public historian, cemetery historian and the founder of , a project dedicated to exploring burial grounds and the stories of the people within them.
His work combines social history, death and burial, architecture and the lives of people frequently overlooked by traditional historical narratives. He has worked with organisations including the National Trust and The Royal Parks and regularly leads historical tours across London.
What people say about Cemetery Club:
"Would recommend a tour with Cemetery Club wholeheartedly and hope to attend many more in the future"- Gemma
"⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Super informative and entertaining" - ChdeGaulle
"⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ He has a myriad of stories and tells them well" - JustSomeGuyJohn
Event venue & nearby stays
Equestrian Statue of the Duke of Wellington, 1 Cornhill, London, United Kingdom
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